In this post, I will tell you my customer experience with Superdry, in particular, their Online Shop, where I purchased 2 items, one jacket and one rucksack, both returned. The first was faulty, the second was not as I expected from the online images.
A quick overview of what it happens. Before purchasing online, I read on their website “Free Shipping and Return”, so I was very interested in this shopping model. I was more influenced in purchasing online because of the free return. Once I purchased and in the parcel, it was also included a return label, I then realized that was not free return, although, below you can see a screenshot of their page telling the opposite. Have a good read!
If you want to run a successful business you need to fulfil mainly the following components:
- To have an Excellent product
- To have an Excellent Sales team to sell your product
- To have an Excellent Post Sales or Customer Care Team to keep your customer loyal
- If you are omnichannel and you sell online too, you must have a good logistic structure for shipping and returns.
Once you see the above fully in compliance, you are on the right path to be a successful business.
Where Superdry Failed at this?
Having established a well known and well-respect Retail Experience in Ireland, they failed (on my opinion) to provide the same customer experience for the Online Irish Market. Worse than this, in their website on the FAQ page, they provide false information about their returns policy: Free returns for UK and Ireland, but this is not the case.
In fact, as also confirmed by their Facebook Chat:
“Hi Donald, as you are based in Ireland you would need to dial 0044 3333 212 222 to get in contact with our Customer Service department. I can confirm that sadly, we do not offer free returns to customers based in Ireland, as you would need to post the item back to us with a courier of your own choice. Out free returns service is only available on customers based in the UK“.
So, when you log into their website it states Free Returns for Ireland (pictured above). They put into your parcel a shipping label with the return address, but no mention on Free Return and different information are provided.
Same for the Tweet received by their account
Hi Donald, sadly at this time we do not offer free returns from the Republic of Ireland at this time. This is something we are looking into changing very soon. However, we advise to use a tracked courier company to have any item returned to us. Thanks!
— Superdry_Care (@Superdry_Care) September 26, 2018
This is one reason why Superdry failed so far to provide a Good Customer experience, at least on its online market. Sadly I am not interested in buying any of their products anymore as well as write this post to inform you about this so that you are aware too.
On 27 September 2018 received from Superdry Partial refund from one item I paid (Jacket) and also the return I made it using their label has been accepted, so at the moment I am writing they offered me free return. I am not sure if this was an exceptional case and/or because I also made e little bit of complaints on Twitter. Fact, it is the information they have so far provided from their several online channels (Facebook, Web, Twitter) on Return policy is not the same. One thing important in Marketing is the communication, which has to be unified at all levels and channels so to provide an official version of the topic (Delivery, Returns).
On 28 September 2018 I received (after 3 days from my original email) a reply from the customer care. At least something. As usual happens in any English speaking countries, the use of “Apologies” and other kind of emphatic words is a standard.
As you can read, there is still that kind of superior mindset telling me that “the returns policy does not state that we offer free returns to The Republic of Ireland…“. Meaning that I am the wrong here, because if there is written in one page (see first picture above) that I get a free return in Ireland and UK, but in another page only in UK, wins the one that not offers free returns in Ireland. This kind of dealing with emails. Again, this way of dealing things are not focused on a potential customer who can stay lifetime loyal. Again, this way of dealing things just demonstrated me how Superdry failed to provide customer experience. Everybody working for a company is responsible for the image and outcome of the company. If this is still unclear by owners or managers of Superdry, that’s a big issue.
Donald Piccione is a professional marketeer with over 10 years experience in SEO, PPC and Digital Automation.
Since 2008 he is also the founder and editor of an Irish News website for Italians called Tuttoirlanda.
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